Sunday, January 18, 2026

Taliban bans women from popular national park in Afghanistan

(BBC News) The Taliban government has banned women from visiting the Band-e-Amir national park in Bamiyan province.

Afghanistan’s acting minister of virtue and vice Mohammad Khaled Hanafi said women had not been observing hijab inside the park.

He called on religious clerics and security agencies to forbid women from entering until a solution was found.

Band-e-Amir is a significant tourist attraction, becoming Afghanistan’s first national park in 2009.

It is a popular destination for families, and the ban on women attending will prevent many from being able to enjoy the park.

Unesco describes the park as a “naturally created group of lakes with special geological formations and structure, as well as natural and unique beauty.”

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